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100 years of life
1248 sats \ 10 comments \ @pappasbland 30 Jul HealthAndFitness
This is my Gran, a photograph I made on a snowy walk on Christmas Day, 2009. Yesterday my Gran turned 100 years old. She received a signed card of congratulations from King Charles and Camilla and enjoyed a celebration with my family in England.
She is very frail now and needs a wheelchair to get around, but to reach 100 is such an epic achievement – I can't imagine being 70 never mind 100 years old. Her quality of life today doesn't match what you see in this portrait of her living her best life in 2009. I'm pretty sure her excessive consumption of black tea has got her this far, something which I also drink a lot of myself. But do I want to live to 100? I'm not sure. Does that mean I want this life to end at some point? Not as it stands. Thinking about life and your longevity, death, your loved ones – it's a vast, complex subject, and your perspective on life could change on a dime with any number of sudden events.
Our 7 year old is currently obsessed with Greek mythology and all the stories about the Greek gods, demigods, immortals etc... So on the subject of life, I will end with this question – if you were given the chance to become immortal, would you take it? -Tom
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40 sats \ 1 reply \ @Scoresby 30 Jul
It's pretty wild to imagine 30 years of life after the age of 70. I bet your Gran has had a lot of time to think on things. I would like to think that the petty worries that consume so much of my current life fall away as I get older, but perhaps we just trade some worries for others.
(also it sounds like you've been benighted by the Rick Riordan train -- all of 2024 my children were greek mythology obsessed because of those Percy Jackson books)
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102 sats \ 0 replies \ @pappasbland OP 30 Jul
Indeed, Percy Jackson among others. But it all began with Mary Pope Osborne's Tales from the Odyssey series which they read at school and then performed as a play. Great books, your kids would probably enjoy them.
My Gran definitely has her own set of worries all relative to her reality. For us when we're older, who can imagine? We'll probably have robots that care for us that will have learnt exactly how we like our food to be made, and how to help us clean ourselves etc... But what will the environment look like? Will our kids be safe and financially secure? Some of the worries we have today will always be there. Others will be shaped by the world we live in. -Tom
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40 sats \ 0 replies \ @398ja 31 Jul
What you are, your true essence, is immortal.
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40 sats \ 1 reply \ @4dcfa2e179 30 Jul
What a beautiful and touching tribute to your Gran — reaching 100 is truly remarkable. The photo captures such warmth and strength. Your reflections on aging, life, and immortality are deeply relatable. As for immortality… maybe it’s the limits that make life meaningful.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @pappasbland OP 31 Jul
Thank you, and yes you may be right about immortality. The notion of it certainly raises many questions – who would want to be immortal for example if the world became an apocalyptic wasteland? But if humanity survives and thrives, just imagine what you'll experience in the many decades to come. But who knows... maybe boredom would win out eventually. -Tom
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40 sats \ 0 replies \ @guerratotal 30 Jul
Well, I really would like to live as long as God allows me to walk on this earth, see my children grow up and if possible grandchildren and great-grandchildren... about immortality I can say as the Bible says that God placed immortality in the heart of man, we are not made to die, there I have the hope that when I cross the door of death God will take me to his arms.
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40 sats \ 0 replies \ @d680ecaa8e 30 Jul
Life is good if you leave at good wealth at this age.
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40 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 30 Jul
That’s amazing!
Even though the quality of life might seem undesirable towards the end, I suspect there are many things these folks still value. In particular, I’m sure the desire to continue watching your family develop doesn’t go away.
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40 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 30 Jul
Inspiring!
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40 sats \ 0 replies \ @satgoob 30 Jul
Congrats! You should set her up on here - I think Stacker News would welcome its first centenarian user
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